James Bord Named Preferred Bidder to Take Over Sheffield Wednesda

Former professional poker player James Bord has been selected as the preferred bidder to take over Sheffield Wednesday, BBC Sport has confirmed.

The Championship club has been in administration since October, bringing an end to a decade of ownership under Dejphon Chansiri. On Wednesday, the club’s administrators announced that an agreement had been reached with a potential buyer, although they stopped short of publicly naming the successful party.

Bord, who was born in London, made his name on the professional poker circuit, winning around £3.2m during his playing career. Before that, he worked for gambling analytics firms Starlizard and Smartodds, before stepping away from Smartodds to focus on machine learning and artificial intelligence in San Francisco.

He now runs data company Short Circuit Science, which applies AI to sports analytics and holds advisory roles at several football clubs. The firm has worked with Sheffield United since their takeover by COH Sports in the summer, primarily focusing on youth player analysis.

Through Park Bench SFC LLC, Bord also has ownership interests in Spanish Segunda Division side Córdoba CF and Bulgarian club Septemvri Sofia. In addition, he has co-owned Dunfermline Athletic with business partner Evan Sofer for almost a year and attended his first match in person at the weekend, a 3-2 home defeat to Ayr United.

Bord, who is currently based in Las Vegas, is believed to be leading a consortium, although it remains unclear who else is involved in the bid for Wednesday or whether Park Bench SFC LLC will be the vehicle used for the takeover.

The proposed acquisition must still pass the English Football League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test, with Bord’s previous involvement in the gambling industry expected to be scrutinised as part of that process. However, the offer made to creditors exceeds the EFL’s minimum requirements, meaning Sheffield Wednesday would avoid starting next season with a further 15-point deduction.

In a statement issued by the club on Wednesday, joint administrator Paul Stanley said the decision to proceed with a preferred bidder followed “extensive financial, legal and forensic due diligence, supported by specialist advisors”.

“That work has progressed significantly since early stages of the process and has included a detailed assessment of funding sources, ownership structure and governance,” Stanley added.

While the statement did not name Bord, it noted that the chosen consortium brings “existing experience in football ownership, including majority and minority interests in clubs operating within regulated league systems”.

Former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley was also among the bidders, along with American aviation executive David Storch. Storch’s bid included Tom Costin, an investor with Blue Crow Sports Group, which holds controlling interests in clubs including Le Havre, CD Leganés and Cancún FC.

When the first phase of the takeover process concluded on 21 November, there were believed to be around 10 interested parties still in contention.

Sheffield Wednesday currently sit bottom of the Championship on minus nine points following two deductions since entering administration, leaving them 30 points adrift of safety and facing an almost certain relegation to League One.